Two photos, purporting to be part of Apple CEO Steven P. Jobs medical file, show a HIV positive status. The two photos have been spread over email, and appeared in a number of Internet publications, including CNN's "ireport", which previously released a false death report for Mr. Jobs.

The results by HIV testing company SxCheck are dated 1 Sep 2004. Though SxCheck's website did not launch until 2006[1], its parent company Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation has existed since the 1980s[2]. It is thus plausible that the results are a re-issue of earlier tests associated with its parent company. SxCheck's website advertises "decades of experience"[3].

If Steve Jobs did have HIV, it is possible that his pancreatic cancer was a Kaposi's sarcoma, which are noted to emulate pancreatic cancer in HIV-positive patients[4]. Steve Jobs also follows a diet occasionally recommended to AIDS patients as an alternative therapy[5].

A close inspection of the second image reveals that Mr. Jobs personal details are slightly misaligned and do not follow the perspective of the surrounding text. "Born" in the "Birth date" field is also unusual, although not by itself a key signature of fabrication.

The social security number, on the other hand, is of a valid structure and was issued in California, although it is unknown if it is Mr. Jobs.

As Apple, Inc's stock price depends in part on the health of Mr. Jobs, stock speculators are motivated to introduce information critical of Mr. Jobs health.

Due to the contradictory dates, possible evidence of forgery, strong motivations for fabrication, and few motivations for a legitimate revelation, the images should not be taken at face value.